Misfortune Followed Us Home
by Matsui Aiko desu
Summary: Kagome discovers Inuyasha with Kikyo, one evening on her way back to Edo. She comes to the conclusion that the love she once had for the hanyou has waned. What will happen when she is captured by Naraku just when she begins to realize she has feelings for someone else?
1. I Prefered to Let Him Lay With Clay

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.1

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I Prefered to Let Him Lay With Clay

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A soft breeze blew through the clearing, the grass bending to the gentle caress of the wind. Luminescent moonbeams lit the clearing, speckled with the lights from dozens of fireflies. In the center of this clearing sat an old dry well. A woman lay in the grass next to it. Her arms lay crossed behind her head as she gazed at the full moon and stars. Next to her a small black bag rested in the grass. The woman sighed as her blue eyes rested on the giant tree towering in the distance. She reached over and plucked an arrow from the full quiver next to her. She rolled the shaft between her fingers and blew on the feathered end.

"He was supposed to be here two hours ago," she fumed silently in her head.

Two hours ago she had emerged from the dry well. On her back was strapped a small leather bag, black in color it resembled a sack with a drawstring threaded to hold it closed and a strip of leather attached so it could easily be carried over one shoulder. Along with the bag was a full quiver of arrows and a bow attached in a similar fashion, to the other shoulder. This night it was slightly chilly, it was late May and the weather was unpredictable, one day warm the next cold and rainy. Because of the weather, she had forgone her new usual outfit for olive green cargo pants, cinched at the ankles, a black cap-sleeved T-shirt, and an olive green crop top jacket. On her feet she wore ankle length black leather hiking boots, finding them much more suitable to traverse the countryside with than her black school loafers. Her hair which over three years of good treatment had grown out to just below her hips was fastened in a high ponytail. She pulled herself up from the depths and had sat on the edge, her legs swinging idly as she twisted looking around and behind her. She pouted, scrunching up her small button nose and let out a breath. He was late!

She waited fifteen minutes before she headed to the village by herself. The sinking sun had just touched the horizon. It wasn't as if she didn't know the way she just enjoyed the companionship, besides, he was always impatient about her trips home and with him travel always went twice as fast though he never stopped complaining. She continued on her way, walking slowly and taking in nature. She heard his voice as she was passing by the god tree. She stopped and rested her hand on the Goshinboku. She already knew what she would find, yet still she dropped her bag at the base of the tree and followed his voice back into the forest. It seemed as she got closer, his voice got softer until she heard no talking at all. She began hearing instead soft grunts and low moans. Just as she reached the edge of the clearing she began to hear the sound of flesh meeting flesh. He growled out the name of her previous incarnation and she turned around and headed back to the god tree.

She sat at the base of the tree awhile, staring into the heavy laden boughs and decided to take a walk to collect her thoughts. Grabbing her bag she tied it tightly to her belt before wandering away. As she passed by the trees, she gently stroked the rough bark with her gloved hands. She had taken to wearing archery gloves as her skill increased to protect her hands. She reveled in the silence of twilight as she calmly walked. She had no destination in mind but her feet led her to a familiar place. It was a clearing nestled in the forest. A pond sat in the center partially obscured by the tall waist length grasses. A gentle breeze blew and the grass swayed slightly under the pressure. The full moon reflected on the surface of the water, giving it the illusion that the surface was glowing white. She plucked one of the short reeds situated along the bank. Using an army knife she took to carrying, she transformed the small reed into a flute and began to play a random tune as she made her way back to the well clearing.

She lay down in the grass and stared at the fading sky. It hurt less this time, like tiny pinpricks. The feeling you get when a limb goes numb. Before it was like searing hot, white flames had engulfed her heart. So this is how it felt to be numb to the pain. She no longer felt the urge to cry or to shatter the body of the woman who was no longer of the land of the living. She felt no overwhelming sadness or consuming anger. At least she felt no sadness for herself, she felt sadness for him. What she felt now could be called acceptance. Without her being conscious of it, she had moved on. For him she now felt brotherly love and somehow wished she could help him. She sighed and stood up. It was time to return to the village; surely her son missed her tucking him in tonight. Besides she had enemies and she would not chance being lost to her loved ones, it was not safe to be alone in the forest at night. She brushed the dirt and grass off her clothes, gathered her belongings and walked off towards the village.


	2. My Home, Peaceful Again

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.2

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My Home, Peaceful Again

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Kagome pulled back the cloth flap and entered her hut. Awhile back everyone had decided that they couldn't all live in Kaede's hut, it was just too many people in such a small space. Two new huts had been constructed. At first the girls and Shippo occupied one hut and Miroku and Inuyasha were supposed to share the other one. However, the hanyou quickly realized he preferred to sleep outdoors under the stars. He could usually be found in the branches of the Goshinboku or on top of Kaede's hut. As time progressed and glimpses of the evil hanyou decreased and then cease all together, the dynamics in the tachi changed. Sango and Miroku became closer and decided that should they die in this quest, they wanted to know how it felt to live as a couple. Sango moved into the hut with Miroku and Kagome and Shippo continued to share the other one.

She passed the main room which housed a small kitchen and dining area. There was a small fire pit set a few feet back from the genkan step. Some modern accents had been made such as cabinets and a door that currently sat propped against the wall. The door had hinges attached to it and only needed to be screwed into the doorway, it was reserved for the colder months and when the tachi left to travel the countryside, Sango and Miroku's hut held one as well. Kagome had decided to purchase furniture from the future and had acquired tatami mats, a cherry wood low table and turquoise cushions. She also brought easily assembled futons for her and Shippo, full bed sets and several bolts of turquoise cloth which she draped on the walls behind the table.

She peeked into Shippo's room and found it empty as she expected. Usually when she went home for a few days he slept in her room, absorbing her scent and quelling his pack instincts. She walked into her room depositing her bag, bow and arrows in the corner opposite the doorway. She stared down at this mess that was her futon. The bluish gray comforter was half way off the bed; the light blue sheets were currently wrapped around her kit, whose arms were barely grasping the edges of her favorite pillow as he drooled in his sleep. She griped the edge of the sheet and shook it out, Shippo instinctually rolled over; letting the sheet drape neatly back over him as he re settled in his spot. Kagome grabbed the comforter brushing her hand over one of the four panels depicting different flowers, this one holding a tulip with a black stem and a tan bulb, she smoothed it over him. Brushing some of his fiery hair away from his face she kissed his forehead and the left to speak to Sango and Miroku before retiring with her son.

Kagome knocked on the wood panel outside the cloth that covered the doorway. A sun-tanned hand reached out and pulled the cloth away.

"Kagome, welcome back," Sango exclaimed as she reached forward to hug the smaller woman.

"Konbanwa, Sango-chan," replied Kagome. "How are you and Miroku-kun doing this evening," she asked as she walked inside.

"Hello Kagome-sama," Miroku called from the table, he had just sat down from retrieving another cup for tea. He gestured to a seat, set the new cup down and filled it with green tea.

Kagome walked over to the table and leaning over gave a Miroku a hug before she sat down in the offered seat. She took the cup in her hands letting the warmth from the tea seep into her palms before taking a sip. She sighed appreciatively, "Thanks Miroku, I really needed that."

"You're more than welcome Kagome-sama. I don't mean to be too forward," he began, "but, you returned much later tonight than usual, are you and Inuyasha perhaps furthering along your relationship? If so, we couldn't be happier to see our good friends find the kind of happiness in each other that Sango and I share."

She put down her cup and sighed, "Inuyasha is preoccupied at the moment, I escorted myself back to the village."

Sango sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her back, rubbing it softly. "It'll be okay Kagome, we'll talk to him, set him straight. I bet a conversation with Hiraikotsu, will get him thinking correctly."

Kagome smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving her a one armed hug. "Thank you Sango but I'm fine. Whatever the reason, when I found them together, I could only feel a brief sadness for him. I felt sorry that he can't see what's in front of him, what future he is creating for himself."

"Oh," Sango said slightly surprised. "When did you discover-

"I just realized on my way back. You know, I think I'm going to retire for the night. Thanks for the tea, goodnight." Kagome said as she got up from the table and made her way to the door.

"Goodnight," they called in unison as she disappeared behind the cloth covering the door.

"I pushed her too far Miroku," Sango sighed as she sat next to her lover and laid her head on his shoulder.

Kagome secured the cloth flap over the door with a series of wooden boards stretched across the width of the opening, hiding the wood behind the cloth so that it remained unseen. She left her boots at the genkan step and made her way to her bedroom. Shippo had gotten twisted in the covers again and she laughed at him silently as he drooled on her pillow. She removed her jacket and hung it on the edge of her small wardrobe. She took off her shirt and tossed it into a basket by the wardrobe. She opened the cabinet doors and pulled out a striped white, gray, and light blue sleeping yukata. Pulling back the covers she sat on the edge of her futon, she extinguished the candle sitting on the low bedside table and crawled under the covers . As soon as Shippo caught her scent so close, he turned and nuzzled her stomach, wrapping his arms around Kagome as he settled back into sleep. She curled into the kit and dosed off into a peaceful sleep.


	3. My Home, Chaotic

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.3

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My Home, Chaotic

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Kagome groaned as sunlight filtered through the covering over her meager window. She turned over pulling the covers over her head to block out the blinding morning light. She felt Shippo burrow further into her chest as she slowly drifted off back to sleep.

"Wench."

"Ugh."

"Wench."

"Ughhh."

"Wench, get up,"

Kagome sat up blinking owlishly trying to orient herself. Above her stood the same brash hanyou she had avoided in the forest last night. He was looking down on her impatiently, tapping his bare foot on the tatami mat covering the wooden floor.

"Inuyasha," she questioned as she stretched and yawned. "What are you doing here? How did you get in? I had the boards over the opening," she stood up walking to check, "Did you break them again?"

Kagome sighed pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand while the other rested on her hip as she looked at the mess of broken wood and shredded cloth that littered her common room.

"Inuyasha!"

He emerged from her room with not the slightest look of guilt upon his face. "Look wench, if you didn't put that crap on your door, I wouldn't need to break them every time you decide to mess around. I don't have time to waste with you. Come on, we have shikon no kakera to find!"

Her aura rose dangerously at that moment, swirling and crackling with her rising anger. Shippo emerged from the bedroom, awoken by the sensation of her enraged aura rising.

"Okaa-san," he called. He rubbed his eyes and blinked off the offending sunlight before yawning and stretching. He dropped his arms and slowly gazed at the scene around him. When his eyes landed on Inuyasha, he made a soft noise of understanding before walking around the mess on the floor and retrieving some bread from the cabinet. As he sat at the table he called out to Inuyasha, "Good luck Inu-baka," he said with a laugh before taking a bite of the hunk of bread.

"Look you stupid runt, keep your nose outta my business. Don't make me come over there," Inuyasha replied.

"Inuyasha ," Kagome yelled, "You will not lay one hand on him!"

"Keh, I'd like to see you stop me wench."

Kagome turned glaring daggers at him, "Inuyasha, you will clean up this mess and then leave my home, when we are ready we will meet you at Kaede's."

"Keh, I ain't cleaning up nothing wench, just hurry up we're only waiting on you and that brat."

"Inuyasha," she growled.

His ear immediately clamped onto his head at her tone. "Now Kagome, come on, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it. We just have to leave as soon as possible. I'll just wait for you at Kaede's," he said as he backed out of the hut.

Kagome sighed and smiled, relief flooded through Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha," she sighed out his name.

"Thanks Kago-"

"OSUWARI!"

And thus the hanyou met the dirt.


	4. Kaede's

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.4

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Kaede's

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Kagome emerged from her hut. It was a bright sun day, the low humid heat promised a long day of sweating ahead of her. She sighed as she twisted her hair up in a bun. Not all of it could fit and she had two strands that fell on either side of it down to her shoulder blades. She secured the bun with some ornamental chopsticks she had bought in her time. They were a soft cream color with green butterflies. Today she wore olive khaki bike shorts, a white cap-sleeved T-shirt and her favorite olive crop top jacket with tan hiking boots. She set down her bag, bow and arrows just outside her hut and went to retrieve the door. While she was securing it Shippo finally made his way out of the hut. He had obviously grown over the years and he now rested at Kagome's waist. To her he looked a little taller than an average height human boy of ten years. He was dressed today in a white pair of hakamas, an olive green vest, and underneath a light blue shirt with a diamond pattern on it. Unlike Inuyasha, Shippo wore a small pair of black boots on his feet. His hair had straightened as he aged, loose it fell to his shoulder blades but he kept it in a high samurai tail that just touched the back of his neck. His tail, the fur had smoothed and reached down to touch his calf, swished side to side lazily as he waited for Kagome to finish with the door.

Kagome patted the sturdy structure before locking the door and placing the key on a chain around her neck. Once Inuyasha had crawled out of his hole, Kagome had simply pointed back at the hut. The hanyou reluctantly went inside and swept out the debris. It had sat in the dusty road for a full minute before some children came and scavenged the wood for kindling and the fabric for doll dresses. He exited the hut and bounded off into the forest.

Kagome sighed and stretched, "Come on Shippo, let's go to Kaede-baa-chan's and meet up with the others." She put an arm around his shoulders and they walked together to Kaede's.

* * *

Kagome pulled back the cloth flap over the doorway to Kaede's hut and let Shippo enter first. He removed his boots and leap onto the step before he sat down next to Kaede, his tail curling into his lap. Kaede sat next to the fire pit stirring a pot of oatmeal. Kagome had decided that the near instant food would be good for an easy breakfast on the road. Once Kaede tasted it, doused not too liberally with sugar, she was hooked. It was the elderly woman's favorite breakfast. Finally done, she spooned some into three bowls, passing one to Shippo and the other to Kagome. Kagome removed the pot from the hook over the fire and replaced it with a kettle full if water for tea.

"Arigatou Kaede-baa-chan," Shippo said with his mouth full of food.

Kagome giggled at her son, "Hai, arigatou Kaede. And Shippo, you'll wash the dishes when we're done."

Shippo let out a low whine and turned his big green eyes, wet with unshed tears, to Kagome. He stuck his lip out and let it quiver a bit, sniffling.

"I'm not buying it Kit, you're washing the dishes."

"But Okaa-san-"

"Shippo," Kagome warned.

"Hai," he responded sullenly.

* * *

After Shippo finished his food he set his bowl down and retrieved the washing tub from the corner. He was backing out the door tub in hand when his movement was suddenly halted. A small "Omph" was heard outside the door and suddenly the barrier was gone. Shippo tripped on his own feet and feel through the doorway, the washtub flew out of his hands landed on its side and began rolling down the street. Shippo hopped up, "Sorry," he yelled over his shoulder as he ran and easily caught up to the rolling washtub, grasped it in one hand, and ran off toward the river.


	5. What's On Today's Agenda?

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.5

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What's On Today's Agenda?

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The victim, left in the dirt, rose and brushed off his purple robes. He turned to his fiancé and scratched his head, "Was that Shippo," Miroku asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Sango replied.

Kagome came out of the hut and looked around. "Sango, Miroku, what's going on? I thought I heard a noise."

"Well, Shippo crashed into me as he was coming out," Miroku began.

"And then he jumped up and went chasing after something down the street," Sango finished.

"That silly kit," Kagome said with a laugh. "He's in a rush to fill the tub with water so he can do the dishes. He tried to pout his way out of it, but I wasn't buying it. Come on in, we were having breakfast."

* * *

Sango and Miroku followed Kagome into the hut. She was taking the kettle off the fire and proceeded to make tea four five. She passed to bowls of oatmeal to Sango and Miroku and gave them each a cup of tea. She passed a cup to Kaede before sitting down with her own and sipping lightly from it. A few minutes later Shippo stumbled in splashing bits of water as he set the tub down on the step. He sat down beside it, avoiding the wet wood, crossing his legs. Kagome passed him a cloth, soap, and the dirty dishes. Shippo let out a heavy sigh, taking the dishes and placing them in the water. He took the soap and swirled it around in the water until suds formed. Leaving the tub he grabbed a cup and poured himself some tea. He sipped at it while he waited for Sango and Miroku to finish their meal. After everyone finished and Shippo had washed all of the dishes, hastily, the tachi sat and chatted idly for a few minutes. And then a few more minutes. They discussed how the crops were coming in and the girls chatted about who had recently given birth. The y talked about how Shippo's studies were going, he was being religiously tutored by Kagome. They even sat silently for a while; occasionally someone would whistle a short tune. Finally Kagome had had enough. She got up and looked outside at the sky. The sun was high in the sky; it looked to be around eleven and noon.

"Miroku, just tell us what's going on. Inuyasha will just have to catch up later."

"Are you sure Kagome-sama, perhaps we should wait a little longer?"

"Miroku, it's almost midday. We are wasting time and daylight. Besides when he comes back all he's going to do is fuss about how we made no progress."

"Ok then. Well yesterday just past midday a man entered the village. He said he was from a village towards the south-west direction. Apparently he and his fellow villagers abandoned it after they lost contact with the village lord. One day word just stopped coming from the castle. He said the village headman noticed no one had come down from the castle for half a day which was highly unusual. Every party that was sent to figure out what happened never returned. Finally after about a week, he described what to him looked like a purple mist emerged from the castle and started to drift into the village. Once it touched the crops, they immediately wilted. Once they villagers witnessed this they gathered whatever belongings they could quickly and left the village."

"So you think it could be Naraku's miasma," Kagome asked

"Precisely," Miroku replied.

"Well it's worth checking out," Sango added.

"Yep," replied Kagome. "So let's gather up all our gear if you hadn't already," she said pointing to her and Shippo's travel gear, nestled in the corner, "and let's meet by the entrance to the fields in a half hour. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find Inuyasha."


	6. Childish

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.6

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Childish

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Kagome made her way as fast as she could out of the village and headed towards the Goshinboku. If Inuyasha wasn't there, then she could not begin to know where else to look. She was understandably angry. He had the nerve to come into her hut this morning, destroy her property, rudely awaken her, and then act like a great injustice had been done to him. Going off to sulk, "Ha," she thought, "I'll give him something to sulk about. When he comes back all he's going to do is complain about our lack of progress." At this thought her aura swelled, flaring dangerously and sending any small animal who felt it running for cover. She stopped, taking a deep breath, in and out until her aura settled. "I just need to not let him get to me," she said to herself. After expelling her anger she calmly continued on her way.

Arriving at the sacred tree she slowly released her aura, directing it to the high branches that she could not see with her eyes. Just as she was about to give up, she felt the slightest brush of the hanyou's aura. She sighed and tapped at him lightly with her aura.

"Go away Kagome!"

"Inuyasha come down, we have to get ready to leave," she yelled up into the branches.

"Why do you care about leaving," he yelled down. "You don't care about collecting the shikon no kakera. No, you just want to lie around and sleep all day! And then, when I'm trying to help, you sit me for no reason! Nope, you don't want to go anywhere, I'm not going, I'm staying right here!"

"You're acting like a child!"

The statement was met with silence and Kagome could imagine him up there with his arms crossed and his nose in the air, ignoring her. She sighed, she didn't have time for this, and everyone else was ready. "Fine," she thought, "I'll give him one more chance."

"Inuyasha," she called. "Inuyasha," she questioned this time, though her words had some bite to them. "Inuyasha," she warned finally, still he did not come down. "Oh well," she thought unapologetically. She sighed, "Osuwari."

The loud crashing sound made her wince. "Kami that had to hurt," she thought. She looked down into the pit formed from force and gravity. "Inuyasha," she called warily. No sound emerged from the hole and so she reached down and proceeded to slowly drag the heavy hanyou out. Good Kami he was unconscious, his head lolled to the side. Kagome lifted one of his eyelids and looked into his eyes. They were unfocused but he seemed to be undamaged. She grabbed him underneath his arms and making sure she had a good hold began dragging him in the direction of the village. She didn't get very far before she grew tired and had to rest. She sat next to her comatose friend and sighed tapping his nose with her index finger. "You are quite a bit of trouble Inu," she told him. She decided to stretch out her aura and see if she could find Shippo. It spread out, racing along the ground with a light, nearly white, pink shimmer. Finally, after five minutes of searching, her aura touched his. He was with Miroku and Sango outside of the rice fields, probably waiting on her and Inuyasha. She wrapped her aura around his and tugged slightly in her direction. She had to do this a few more times before he got the hint and began to move in her direction, bringing the rest of the tachi with him. A couple minutes later, Shippo broke the tree line followed by Miroku and Sango on Kirara. The fire cat roared before landing and lying down to allow them to get off.

"Hey guys," Kagome greeted while scratching at her head. "I found him," she said laughing nervously. "But," she paused, "I kinda knocked him out."

"Am I to assume Kagome-sama, that he refused to leave the sacred tree," asked Miroku.

"Yep."

"Well then, I am of a mind to believe he probably deserved it. Here, let's get him on Kirara. We'll walk until he wakes up."

With that statement, the tachi carefully lifted the limp hanyou onto Kirara's back and proceeded to walk back to the village borders. There they found the south-western path and proceed to head in that direction. Kagome and Shippo first followed by Miroku, then Kirara with Inuyasha, and finally Sango in the rear. It was going to be a long day.


	7. Must You Be So Difficult?

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.7

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Must You Be So Difficult?

* * *

The Inu tachi were currently marching rather tiredly down a dusty road. Their "infallible" leader having woken up hours ago was "motivating" his faithful companions to work through their fatigue. Hot, sweaty, and dirt covered, the tachi was not very happy. The dust had mixed with their sweat and well to put a long story short, everyone was in need of a bath. Thankfully there were no demon attacks today, the only problem being the Kami forsaken heat. It was reaching sunset and one certain fearless leader was about to be mutinied upon if he didn't stop soon.

"Keh. Hurry up! Naraku isn't going to wait for us to get there," he shouted.

A small discussion began to occur between the remaining members as he bounded ahead of them.

"Perhaps Kagome-sama, there is something you can do about our overzealous friend," Miroku asked.

"He won't jump high enough Miroku, otherwise I would have subdued him by now," Kagome replied.

"Surely you don't mean that Kagome," Sango asked.

"Of course not. I'm just kidding. Never the less I will try to go talk to him."

"Okaa-san maybe you should just sit him," Shippo advised.

Kagome gave her son a look before marching up the road trying to catch up to the hanyou. She began to run but exhaustion won and she settled for yelling after him, while stumbling after him.

"Inuyasha, wait up," she yelled. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha!"

"What wench! Come on we're wasting daylight! I've got to make up for the time you wasted this morning, so if you wanted to stop, there's your answer. The next time you'll get up on time, won't you?" After his tirade the temperamental hanyou resumed bounding up the road.

If Inuyasha had looked behind him he would have seen one very angry teenage miko. Of course he didn't look behind him, nor did he stop to listen. He even ignored the instincts that began pressuring him to take more notice of his surroundings. If he had done any of these things, he might have noticed the vein throbbing in her forehead or the moment her hands curled into fists or the dangerous swelling of her aura. However the fact of the matter is he didn't notice any of these things. His next leap ended in a very forceful landing aided by an angry miko, one very unassuming word, and sweet gravity. The tachi completely disregarded him and where he landed. When they came upon his crater they merely walked around it and followed Shippo who was directing them to the nearest hot spring.

A half hour later resulted in a very tired tachi plopping onto the ground in a moderately secure clearing. Moderately because they were in the open, the tree line broke into a small field lush with green grass. A cave would have been more defensible but they were taking what they could get. To add to security Kagome and Miroku were writing barrier sutras. They would be pressed on the trees around camp, each member of the tachi would smear a little bit of blood on the sutra before it was activated and they would be granted access through the barrier. The way it worked was to misdirect a person who approached the barrier and, though the felt they were going straight, direct them around the barrier. Whoever came upon it would not even see the campsite, just more trees. As the sutras were being placed along the perimeter, one straggling hanyou drug his self into camp. Rather than yelling he merely picked a tree and jumped high into the branches. Miroku finished the barrier and Kagome sent Shippo out to find firewood and kindling. She dropped her bag and called Miroku over.

"Miroku, I'm going in."

"I'll keep watch lady Kagome."

The bag was essentially a bag but, it was altered. More like spelled, magical. A not so basic spell was weaved over the object, by a not so nice person, who was currently deceased. A dark miko, she had somehow come in possession of a shikon no kakera. She wove a spell on the bag, the space inside the bag was like another dimension. Inside had been a large room, the walls resembled a cave and it was filled with all sorts of arcane objects. In reality it was like a giant portable storehouse. The appearance inside the bag was based on the person who owned it. It was like it was partially sentient. For Kagome, the well stayed with her.

"Alright," she sighed. She opened the drawstring wide and stuck her head and arms into the bag. Immediately she felt the wood of a ladder against her fingertips. She climbed the ladder and emerged from a replica of the well. When Kagome first entered the bag she was chasing a shikon no kakera. The dark miko had hidden it in the bag and was feeding off of it to increase her power. After they had defeated her, Kagome had expected to just reach her hand in and pull out the shard. Instead the bag swallowed her up. She had not trained with her powers as much then and it took her a long time before she reached the general area of the shard. She looked around searching pots, caldrons, desks filled with papers on spells and dark magic. Finally she found the shard embedded in the spine of a book on dark magic. As soon as she touched the tainted shard it purified. As if sensing her wishes the environment purified itself. All of the miko's arcane items, the books, the scrolls, the tools, it all went up in flames. She could see them though they did not touch her. She felt no heat and did not burn. When the light from the flames died down, the landscape had completely changed. Her space had trees whose branches connected to the tree beside it creating shelves. Fireflies floated around and the scent of sakura blossoms floated in the air. In the center sat what looked like the well with a wooden ladder descending into the darkness. Not knowing where else to go, Kagome held tightly onto the shard and climbed down the ladder. She was unsure if it was the right way to go until she fell through the air and landed on her butt in front of a very confused tachi. Once she explained what happened, they all agreed that it would be a useful object and she should keep it for herself. She stored all of the tachi's equipment in the bag. She made several trips inside the bag bringing out two tents, four sleeping bags, a fire pit, a large pot and several packages of instant ramen. After they set up camp, the tachi sat around the fire pit and filled their empty stomachs with large amounts of ramen.

After dinner Sango and Miroku decided to retire to their tent. Shippo dragged himself into the other one and collapsed onto his sleeping bag. Kagome followed him into the tent. Dropping her bag she went in and grabbed a burlap sack filled with her bathing supplies. Exiting the bag and the tent she called over to Inuyasha that she was taking a bath and then disappeared into the forest.


	8. Trespasser

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.8

* * *

Trespasser

* * *

There was something…off. Something was not right about this part of the forest. There was a low thrum of power lacing the air. There was something familiar about it, in the origin. It was clear either a very weak creature was running around displaying its lack of power or someone was attempting to hide themselves. He was inclined to believe the latter.

"Jaken," he said, summoning his ever faithfully groveling servant and vassal.

"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama? What can this lowly Jaken do for you?"

"Watch Rin, if any harm is to befall her, you _will_ suffer the consequences."

Jaken gulped, "Hai Sesshoumaru-sama," he replied, bowing repeatedly until Sesshoumaru disappeared into the forest. Why did his lord insist on torturing him so? He constantly left him in charge of this evil child. He would have recommended leaving the little terror at the shiro. But who was he to question his lord.

* * *

Sesshoumaru walked silently observing his surroundings. There was a disturbance in this area, something off about the forest. He inspected the trees and the ground but found nothing visible, still something was not right. As he walked further he got the distinct feeling that he was being warded off from the area. He had just seen the tree in front of him. He had gone in a circle though he knew he walked straight. It was a misdirection barrier. Someone was hiding in his territory and had the nerve to put up something so feeble. He studied the barrier. From what he could tell it was egg shaped, it was strongest on the wider side, weakest at the tip. He could feel holy power radiating off it. He circled around and stood at the weakest point of the barrier. Using a minimal amount of his youki, he punctured a small hole in the barrier, widened the hole just enough for him to walk through, and then let the opening close behind him. The air here was humid; he could see steam rising into the air in the distance. The sound of splashing water met his ears and he decided to go confront this person who dared trespass on his land. As he broke the tree line, he was greeted with the sight of a naked ningen onna bathing in a hot spring. The only scent he could get from her was purity. She was a miko, a powerful one at that. She had her back to him and was pouring a liquid into her hand from a strange bottle. She hummed lightly to herself as she worked the substance into her long black hair; it appeared to be some kind of soap. Still he had need of answers and she _would _provide them for him.

"Miko, what reason have you seen fit hide in this Sesshoumaru's lands?"

The onna shrieked loudly, turned and ducked down into the water. Honestly what was it about ningens and their constant need to over react? As if this Sesshoumaru was interested in her ningen flesh.

"What do you want," she asked, trembling slightly.

The silly onna kept looking between this Sesshoumaru and a bow lying on the bank. There was something familiar about this girl's face, but he couldn't place where he had seen her before. Never the less, she would give up the thought of reaching that weapon if she valued her life.

"Onna this Sesshoumaru has already told you. Furthermore, you _will not_ touch that bow if you value your life." She snatched her arm that had been reaching back to her side and glared at him. She was silent; she just sat in the water glaring. Sesshoumaru wondered if the onna was sane.

"Onna-"

"What do you want Sesshoumaru? Tetsusaiga? Inuyasha won't come."

This was Inuyasha's miko? Apparently she had changed much in the past three years. Her face was narrower; she'd filled out nicely, for a ningen. But that did not matter; neither Inuyasha nor his companions should have been trespassing on his territory.

"Miko."

"Kagome." He glared at her, daring her to interrupt him again.

"Miko," she opened her mouth and he intensified his glare, her mouth shut and he continued. " You still have not explained to this Sesshoumaru why you are here."

"We were simply tracking a rumor of Naraku in a village south of here. How could we know we'd crossed over into your territory?"

"Ningen you _will _watch your tone. It matters not if you or any of your other human companions wandered here. It matters not that the kit wandered here. What matters is Inuyasha. The boundary is clearly marked to anyone of youkai heritage. Inuyasha especially knew when he crossed into this Sesshoumaru's territory. I can only assume that this barrier is a normal occurrence when you camp. It is clear to me that Inuyasha thought that this feeble barrier would hide him from me. You will gather your belongings and return to your camp. There you will disassemble this barrier and wait for this Sesshoumaru to return. You will not leave. Do you understand?"

"Hey! You will not-"

"Miko, you test my patience. Return to your camp and do as I say. That is all." With this he turned around and disappeared into the night.


	9. Barrier Begone

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.9

* * *

A picture of the design on Kagome's cuffs can be found here: www. wallpapergate .

Just take out the spaces.

* * *

Barrier Begone

* * *

Kagome sat silently in the warm water. The steam rising around her only seemed to intensify the look on her face. Anger crowded her face. Her teeth were bared and she sat clenching and unclenching her fists. A very animalistic snarl left her lips as she glared at the spot where the taiyoukai had disappeared into the forest. "That arrogant, stuck up, egotistical, self-centered jackass," she fumed silently in her head. "The nerve of that youkai. How could he possibly begin to think it was okay to treat her like that." Still she was beginning to prune and the warmth the water emitted was starting to get uncomfortable. She was starting to get dizzy, yet she wanted to stay in the water out of spite. Finally giving up she emerged from the onsen. She looked around for her shampoo bottle which she had tossed into a random direction when taiyoukai surprised her. When she found it, it was hanging half way out of a bush. The prickly leaves left small scratches as she tugged the bottle out of the bush. Half of the contents of the bottle was spilled on the ground. "Great," she thought, "That was my last bottle, now I'll have to go home and get a new one, my favorite scent, pomegranate and raspberries." She sniffed the bottle appreciatively for a moment letting the scent relax her. She sighed, closed the bottle tightly and stuck it into the burlap sack. Looking around she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She had forgotten to bring a change of clothes and she certainly wasn't going to put the dirty, sweat ridden clothes back on. She shook her head and winced as her wet hair snapped against her stomach and thighs. She plucked her towel from the sack and wrapped it tightly around her. She leaned over the water and wrung out her hair then twisted it into a bun on top of her head. She gathered her dirty clothes in her arm, picked up the sack and walked back to camp in her towel.

When she arrived at the edge of camp, she peeked around a tree and looked to see if anyone was still awake. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen and the clearing was pretty much empty, except for the fire pit and a few other belongings scattered here in there. Seeing that the coast was clear, she scurried across the field and into the tent. Shippo at some point had woken up because now he was securely snuggled in his sleeping bag. His hair was loose and he was wearing a cream colored sleeping kimono. He was currently digging his claws into his pillow as he held it closer to himself. Apparently he was dreaming. Kagome set the sack down and holding the dirty clothes tightly in one arm descended into the portal bag. She dumped her dirty clothes in a basket on one shelf and discarded her towel in another one. She grabbed a pair of indigo colored hakamas and a white yukata with a flowing swirled pattern on the cuffs of her sleeves with purple, lavender, light blue and a few other colors in between shades. She got dressed quickly and swirled her hair up into two buns secured with deep purple ornamental chopsticks. She exited the bag grabbed the sack with the bathing equipment and returned it to its proper spot before exiting her tent. She glanced at Sango and Miroku's tent and decided to open the barrier first and then wake them. Kagome walked the perimeter of the barrier looking for the last sutra that was placed. She ran her fingers over each sutra until she found the one emitting the strongest amount of power. She ripped it of the tree with an unnecessary flourish and crumpled up the sutra. She felt the magic shudder and then the barrier fell.

She turned around with the intent to go wake Sango and Miroku but her movement was halted by a large white tree. She stumbled and fell on her butt. She rubbed her nose and scowled, "What the hell," she muttered to herself.


	10. Insolence

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.10

* * *

Insolence

* * *

"Miko, do you find it impossible to have even the slightest awareness of your surroundings? If you had been paying attention you would not have run into this Sesshoumaru."

"Excuse me," she replied as she got to her feet.

"This Sesshoumaru does not repeat himself."

"Why you insufferable, egotistical, ba-"

Kagome suddenly saw stars. Black spots colored her vision and she couldn't quite make out where she was. All she knew was her feet didn't touch the ground and then suddenly she couldn't breathe. She scratched at the clawed hand that was blocking her esophagus. She tried to use her reiki to throw him off but she was panicking and could not focus her power. Tears began to leak from her eyes as she fought to breathe. Sesshoumaru was suddenly in her line of vision, his mouth moved but she was having a hard time figuring out what he was saying. Disrespect, she saw that word and life and something else…

* * *

"Wench you have the nerve to disrespect me. If you were not the least bit useful for the destruction of Naraku I would have taken your life twice over. You will respect me; you will not refer to me in that manner. If anyone is the bastard here it is Inuyasha." He snarled in the girl's face. "Had this onna lost her mind," he thought. He glanced at her just in time to notice her change in shade from purple to blue. He released the girl and watched as she slumped to the ground. She managed to hold herself upright for a few seconds before she fell over and sprawled in the dirt. The onna lay in the dirt breathing deeply as she struggled to bring herself back from the brink of unconsciousness. "Fool," he thought.

* * *

There was something going on. His ear twitched, what was that sound. He almost dismissed it but inhaled deeply just to be sure. He went over the scents in his head and identified who was in camp. Sango and Miroku's scents where mingled together, Okaa-san was outside somewhere still in camp but far from the tent. He sat up suddenly, this other scent, it was similar to Inuyasha's but still different and behind that something that smelled like swamp water and something else that smelled like black cherries and mint. That scent, it was sweet and sharp, who was it? Then the smell of salt water drifted to his nose, someone was crying. He got up and peeked out of the tent.

"Okaa-san," Shippo screamed as he ran to her. She was on the ground taking deep, heavy breaths as if she could not get enough air into her lungs. A dark ugly bruise in the shape of a hand print was forming around her neck. The scent of her blood reached his nose as he pulled her close. Her head was bleeding; blood welled up, soaking her dark hair. He snarled and bared his fangs at the intruder who dared to injure his mother.

* * *

"How amusing," Sesshoumaru thought. He looked down at the little kit baring his fangs at him. He supposed if he had to use any word to describe this little display, he could call it cute. Not that he would ever say that word out loud but still, this little over protective kit was cute.

"I'd not waste my time challenging me boy, perhaps you should wake your other companions to see to your mother. It would not do to have such a powerful weapon against Naraku die over something so feeble. Do not blame me for her injuries; it was her own insolence that caused them."

He marched further into camp. "Jaken," he called. The little groveling kappa ran as fast as his little stubby legs could carry him over to his lord and master.

"Yes milord," he squawked.

"Go find Ah-Un and bring them here."

"Yes milord," he replied, and then scurried away into the brush.

"Rin," he called to his young ward. The young girl looked guiltily out from behind a bush before trudging up to him.

"Rin is sorry Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin only wanted to know what was going on. Rin will listen next time."

He nearly sighed; she looked like a thoroughly chastised pup. Her shoulders slumping and her head bowed. "Sit down Rin," was all he said as he picked a tree and sat at the edge of the camp. Inuyasha was not here. He would not be surprised if, as soon as he felt like his companions wouldn't miss him, the hanyou slipped away. The miko was obviously the alpha in this pack, but she for some odd reason deferred to the hanyou. For whatever reason, he would have to wait until she recovered before he could make his demands known. How bothersome.


	11. Huh?

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.11

* * *

Huh?

* * *

"What's going on," she thought. Her eyes opened wearily, she blinked repeated to clear her blurry vision. "Wasn't I outside?" All she could see was white, but wait, there was something strange. She could see something else from the corner of her eye. She intended to turn and look but found her body strangely lacking the energy. "I'm tired," she sighed mentally. Her eyes blinked slowly and she sleep back into the realm of dreams as a pale pink glow enveloped her body.

Her eyes opened again, this time the white was glowing. It was so bright, she closed her eyes. Something was nagging at her in the back of her mind. What was it? She had been doing something important but she could remember what, no matter how hard she tried. Wait. What was that noise? It was loud and angry.

"Inuyasha?"

Her throat was sore, her mouth dry, and her head hurt. What was going on? Wait the sound was gone. She opened her eyes just as the flap to the tent was pulled back.

"Okaa-san," Shippo cried as he burrowed his face into her chest. She lifted her hand and stroked his flame colored hair as she tried to soothe him.

"Shippo, water," she rasped. He flew up and left the tent returning shortly with a bottle of water. He held the bottle to her mouth and let her drink. She tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down.

"Shippo let me up."

"But Okaa-san-"

"Shippo. I'm fine. Let me up."

He lifted his hands of her chest and allowed her to sit up. She felt a lot better. She took the bottle from him and took a large gulp before handing it back. She rubbed her face in her hands and asked, "What happened?"

His entire posture changed and he slumped into himself. "I couldn't protect you. Sesshoumaru-"

Immediately the memories came rushing back. She jumped up and ran out of the tent. She expected anarchy, disaster, but as she emerged from the tent she was surprised to see everything peaceful, well for the most part. Sango had taken it upon herself to make breakfast and Miroku to watch Inuyasha. "I guess he returned this morning," she thought. Currently Inuyasha was being subdued by a sutra stuck to his forehead and mouth. One to keep him frozen and the other to keep him silent. She would have laughed at this if not for the extra additions to their tachi. Sesshoumaru's little girl, Rin, she was babbling excitedly about this and that to Sango. Sesshoumaru himself was seated at the edge of the clearing, beside him lay a large two-headed dragon. He merely sat with his arm propped on one knee while his other leg lay stretched out. Nearby by was his kappa, Jaken, who looked as if he was unconscious.

She took an uncertain step forward. Her movement caught his attention and she stepped back as he stood and approached her.

"Miko," he stated as he approached her. "This one will not reiterate after he has spoken this once. You shall not disrespect this Sesshoumaru again. If you value your health you will keep this in mind."

She merely nodded and said nothing.

"I have already informed both the taijiya and the houshi. The idiotic hanyou refused to listen to this one but you can and will control him. You are in my territory and I will not allow you to traipse all over my land causing havoc because of that tama. While you are within the western lands, I will be traveling with you. I will escort you to this village, you will retrieve your kakera, and if Naraku is not present, you and your tachi will be escorted to the boundaries of this land. You have wasted enough time. Eat and then gather your belongings. We will depart soon." With this said he pivoted gracefully and returned to his previous seat. All she could do was stare at him.

"Huh?"

* * *

Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, I've been working the past few days and upon returning home, the only appealing thing was my bed and food. Anyway here's number eleven. I hope you like it. Feedback is always welcome. I would enjoy some contructive criticism, but to each his own. Ugh -_- I'm rabbling sorry. Enjoy!


	12. How Do We Earn It?

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.12

* * *

How Do We Earn It?

* * *

Kagome placed her bag outside and then started to disassemble the tent. She had already folded the sleeping bags and put them away, along with the fire pit and any other items scattered around camp. The tents were all that was left. After the tents were folded and stuffed back into their sacks Kagome glanced warily at Sesshoumaru. She didn't know how he was going to react about the bag and its abilities. What if he thought she was running away, maybe she should just say something. But would he believe her? She wouldn't believe such an outrageous story. Still a simple statement might work.

"I'm going to put the tents away, I'll be right back," she stated right before she, rather quickly, jumped in. She had no time to go carefully; he was fast enough as it is. She climbed the ladder and vaulted over the edge of the well. She placed the tents on a random shelf and then ran to grab a change of clothes. She had to move quickly. She untied her yukata and let it fall to the ground as she stripped out of her hakamas. She grabbed the pair of navy hakamas; she got one leg in but tripped in her haste to get the other leg in. She fell forward but turned so that she fell on her butt. The back of her head smacked into the tree behind her and she bent forward grasping the back of her head with both hands as she groaned.

"Pathetic."

* * *

"I'm going to put the tents away, I'll be right back."

Why did that silly onna feel the need to announce that of all things to the camp? It had been peacefully quiet so far. He barely glanced at her as she opened a sack at her feet and jumped into it. He blinked once before vanishing and reappearing with the bag in hand were the onna had disappeared. She had vanished, apparently inside the bag. How did a ningen onna come across something as useful as this? That is, if it was what he thought it was.

He glanced up as he heard the taijiya move in his direction. "What is it?"

"Please Sesshoumaru-sama, Kagome isn't trying to run away, I promise."

What did this fool onna think he was going to do, destroy the thing? "Hn." He left the taijiya to think about what that meant as he dropped the bag and reached his hand into it. "Wood," he thought as he felt around. He stood and following the miko's movements, jumped inside. He grasped the ladder rung and pushing, propelled himself out and over the lip of the well. He crouched as he landed silently letting the impact move up his body as he stood. This place was like a miniature forest with large trees. The smell of sakura blossoms hung in the air. He found her scent, pomegranate and raspberries, and followed it into her forest. He spared side glances at the strange objects littering the "shelves" made from the branches. The sound of rustling cloth caught his ears and he followed the sound. As he turned he came up the onna, the miko in a heap on the ground. A pair of hakamas wound around her. One leg was in the hakamas while the other was hopelessly tangled in the cloth of the other leg. She did not even have much of anything on her torso except for some small bit of fabric covering her breasts. Not that it would do much to hide her chastity. The onna was holding her head and groaned in pain.

"Pathetic."

The onna looked up at him. He could smell the salt of her tears, though it mattered not. He leaned against the tree behind him. "It is a miracle that you have lived thus far. Pray tell how you intend to defeat Naraku like this," he gestured at her letting his hand swipe over her form. "No wonder you let the hanyou control your pack."

"I do not let Inuyasha control me," she cried as she attempted to stand up. However, she forgot that she was entangled in her clothes and merely fell again.

"You let your emotions control you."

"So," she yelled angrily as she secured the hakamas onto her person correctly.

He settled for a simple, "Hn," as he looked down on her.

"Hn."

* * *

Hn. That's all he had to say, Hn. What was wrong with him. How dare he speak to me that way! She let out an impressive growl as she glared and the emotionless Inuyoukai.

"And I suppose you have some great solution for me huh," she asked, placing her hand on her hips and tilting her head to the side.

"This Sesshoumaru would not waste valuable resources on you."

She growled again as she walked up to him and jabbed at his armor with her index finger. "You're not so great you know that."

He grabbed her by her finger holding her hand away from him, "You will refrain from touching this Sesshoumaru."

"This Sesshoumaru, this Sesshoumaru. How hard is it to say I or me or mine? You'd think someone with your "resources" could learn to speak correctly."

"Onna you test this Sesshoumaru," he warned his eyes flashing red.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand, "Look, this isn't going to be easy. You and Inuyasha just being with a kilometer of each other spells trouble. To add to it, you hold no respect for any of us. How are we supposed to treat you with respect when you don't give us any? You treat us like insects under your feet, its only natural that we rebel."

"Hn," he replied as he dropped her hand. "Respect is earned not given," he stated as he turned and made his way to the exit.

"And how are we supposed to earn it," she yelled after him.

Her only answer was silence.


	13. This Discussion Is Not Going Well

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.13

* * *

This Discussion Is Not Going Well...

* * *

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose as she shook her head. She often wondered how she put up with Inuyasha all these years. Putting up with Sesshoumaru however, was going to be even more difficult. If she had never broken the jewel she wouldn't be in this mess right now. But, she had and it was her duty to see it put back together. She sighed as she dropped her hand to her side. She jumped as her hand brushed past her waist, touching the bare flesh. Oh sweet Kami! She had forgotten that she was getting dressed when he showed up. "I had no top on the whole time," she yelled in her mind. "How is he supposed to take me seriously when I'm half dressed?!" At the thought she began to blush, a light pink brushing her cheeks and dipping down to paint her neck and chest. Sesshoumaru had seen her half-dressed. She wondered briefly what he thought of her before pushing the thought aside. Sesshoumaru held no interest in her, she was ningen. It was doubtful now that he held hatred for all humans after Rin, but still, she doubted he would get involved with one in that way. He was busy scolding her anyway. "Why am I even thinking about this," she yelled out. She needed to get dressed and return before Sesshoumaru got impatient and came back. She grabbed a white tank top and pulled it over her shoulders. She reached for a jacket from another shelf, another crop top, this one in a mandarin style. It was navy with white cuffs and trimming around the collar. She shrugged it on and buttoned it up. She took two rolls of white cloth and bound the ends of hakamas. She wrapped the white fabric up from her ankles to just under her calf muscles, and then pulled on a pair of white tabi socks and black ankle boots. She went back to the entrance and grabbed her bow and quiver. She secured them to her back and pulled on her archery gloves. Fully dressed and as ready as she could be for combat she climbed down the ladder and back into the real world.

* * *

When she emerged, she found Sango and Miroku standing to one side. They were shifting their feet and glancing everywhere except in the directions of Sesshoumaru, who stood leaning against a tree, and Inuyasha, who was still bound and angrily glaring at everyone. As they spotted her they ran over.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku called. "Are you alright," he asked in a low voice.

"I'm fine Miroku, but we need to get going." She looked up at the sky, judging from the sun it was around nine or ten in the morning. They probably wasted a lot of time waiting for her to wake up.

"I agree," Sango said, "but, what are we going to do about Inuyasha?"

"I'll talk to him," Kagome sighed out as she drug a hand across her face. "Just make sure you guys and Shippo are ready to go."

"Alright," she responded, "'good luck."

Kagome let out a small, slightly bitter laugh at this as she walked over to the fuming hanyou. If looks could kill, she was sure they would be dead a hundred times over by now. She settled for a simple greeting to start. "Morning Inuyasha," she greeted with a large smile on her face. His glare intensified. "Look, I know you're angry but I need you to listen. Sesshoumaru has decided to accompany us to the village we are investigating. I know you two don't get along, but you need to bear with it for a while. You knew when we crossed into Sesshoumaru's territory and you didn't bother to tell any of us. This is the consequence from your action. Now I'm going to take the sutra off your mouth okay?" He rolled his eyes at her and she assumed that meant get on with it. She took the edge of it and ripped it off in one quick motion.

"Ow! What the fuck Kagome!"

"Sorry Inuyasha. It would have hurt more if I did it slowly."

"Keh, whatever. Just let me loose."

"Not before you promise me that you won't go attacking Sesshoumaru."

"Why you protecting that bastard Kagome? You know he's tried to kill me. He's bad news Kagome, just let me go and I'll take care of him."

She slapped her forehead with her hand and shook her head as she sighed. "Look Inuyasha, this is your fault, you're just going to have to deal with it."

"How is this my fault!?"

She was starting to get angry. "You crossed into his territory, without his permission and-"

"I don't need his damn permission to go where I want!"

"And," she continued gritting the word out between clenched teeth, "you didn't bother to tell any of us! How do you think I felt when he just showed up, demanding that I tell him what my purpose was for being here! I screamed when I saw him Inuyasha, where were you? Huh? Why didn't you come running wielding Tetsusaiga as usual? Where did you go? I was bathing and everyone else was asleep. You left the camp unprotected!"

"Keh, you had the stupid barrier."

"He went through it, just walked right in! And I bet you were nowhere nearby to protect us. What if it had been Naraku huh? Then what?"

"But it wasn't Kagome, stop making such a big deal out of it. Just let me get rid of that bastard and we can go!"

"Ugh," she screamed, "You just don't get it. I don't care if Sesshoumaru is here. As long as you're respectful towards him, he could care less about you. You don't have to like it, but you have to deal with him until we reach this village and find out what's going on. After that we're getting kicked out anyway. Just be civil for a few days. For our sake, please Inuyasha."

"Keh, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I'm not putting up with him for one second longer that I have to, and I don't have to now."

"Fine then," she said, "You leave me no choice. I hope when you wake up you'll be in a better mood."

"Huh? When I wake up? Wha- no wait Kagome!"

"Osuwari. OSUWARI. OSUWARI!" By the time she was done, the hanyou was thoroughly unconscious. "Miroku," she called, "Get Kirara, let's load him up and get going."

Kagome was rather ruthless when she was angry.


	14. A Hard Day

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.14

* * *

A Hard Day

* * *

It was evening, the sun was going down and the camp site selected. The mangy and ragged shard hunters currently rested at the side of the road. Dusty, sweat and blood covered, tired and hungry, they were not very happy people. Well the adults at least, the children had been left under the charge of a grumpy Jaken while the Inu tachi rested. The day had started off simple enough.

* * *

_A warm breeze blew in from the west as the Inu tachi and Sesshoumaru's pack marched down the earthen path. Inuyasha awoke a couple hours later no worse for wear but definitely displeased. It was obvious by the scowl on his face as he marched from the back of the group with his arms crossed, nose in the air and his face turned away from the rest of his companions. Everyone else chose to ignore the childlike behavior in favor of being observant of their surroundings and watching Kagome for any signs of shikon no kakera detection. Sesshoumaru was leading the group down the road at a moderate speed. His consideration for the humans in the group came as a surprise but was entirely welcome. Traveling with Inuyasha was an exhausting experience; his eagerness to see Naraku dead was both a blessing and a curse. His reckless abandon was oftentimes useful in battle but when traveling all it did was ensure the tachi never performed at full capacity. Sesshoumaru, with his tactical mindset, understood this and ensured that all fighters were fully capable. He strode ahead eyes forward, if you looked closely you could see the subtle twitch of his ears when he focused on a sound, most of them undetectable to human ears. According to Sesshoumaru it would take another week and three days to get to the village. It was far deeper than they had originally thought. The tachi was informed that they would pass through another two villages before they reached their target._

_The tachi walked for another hour. It was around one o'clock judging by the position of the sun. Kagome stopped in her tracks and looked up at the sky, her arm raised to shield her eyes from the sun. She let out a sigh as she dropped her arm, it was so hot today. She looked down at her clothes and shook her head; she had really misjudged the weather today. _

_"Is something wrong Kagome," Sango asked._

_"No Sango, I'm fine, the heat is just getting to me." She had not noticed that she had fallen behind and rushed to catch up. As she rounded the corner she nearly ran into Sesshoumaru's back. She stopped abruptly and fell backwards into the dirt. She peered around the Inuyoukai's legs, but she could see nothing ahead. She stood up, dusting off her clothes, and moved to stand beside him._

_"No disrespect meant Sesshoumaru, but why did we stop," she asked the stoic youkai._

_"Do you not have senses miko? You have abilities above other ningen, use them," was his reply._

_Kagome frowned but extended her aura in the direction he was looking. Something was coming; a malicious aura was drawing closer. As the aura got closer, Kagome was able to distinguish that it was not one creature but three. She drew her bow and notched an arrow, watching the tree line for signs of movement._

_"Kagome," Sango questioned._

_"Something's coming," she replied._

_As if her words served as a trigger the three auras suddenly began rushing in their direction. _

_She pulled back into her stance and drew her arrow taunt against the bow string as she waited for whatever it was to clear the tree line. A minute later the last tree fell and out stumbled three Onis. Large, grotesque, their skin dark in color; the one on the left was a dark purple, the one on the right a midnight blue, and the one in the center blood red. Their skin had bulging lesions that oozed pus and a dark green blood. Their bodies were covered only by dirty, hole ridden, loincloths. On top of their heads, dark black curved horns protruded from their greasy balding scalps. They carried giant battleaxes. The one in the middle, the obvious leader snarl and bellowed, "You there! Girl! Give me the shikon no kakera!" He lifted a giant clawed hand and reached for her. In response she let loose her arrow, it streamed forward in an arc of pink light and she watched as it struck the palm of his hand and began eating away at the flesh there._

_"YOU BITCH," It roared. It hefted the giant battle-axe in its other hand and swung in a large arch towards Kagome. She dived out of the way, hitting the ground hard she rolled a few feet and landed on her back winded. The axe crashed down into the road where she had been and a large spray of dirt and rocks showered the tachi as they scattered and found defensive positions. The children and Jaken escaped into the sky on Ah-Un._

_Kagome gasped, breathing hard she rolled over and scrambled onto her feet. She ran to the cover of the tree line and notched an arrow. She looked around the tree and saw Inuyasha run forward Tetsusaiga drawn. He swung the sword in a huge arc yelling WIND SCAR at the top of his lungs. The familiar torrent of yellow light was met with the crackling, blue lightning like attack of Sesshoumaru's. The attacks chased each other up to the Onis and struck with a vengeance. Their flesh split easily under the assault, blood, pus and chunks of flesh rained down. _

_"Kagome," Inuyasha yelled, "where's the shikon no kakera?"_

_Kagome searched the three Onis carefully, scanning them from top to bottom. "I don't see anything," she screamed as she dodged another attack._

_Sango rode by on Kirara, swinging Hiraikotsu. The giant boomerang flew through the air and severed the arm of the purple Oni. Kirara roared as she raced by close to the ground, dropping off Miroku and racing back into the sky where Sango snatched up Hiraikotsu. She swung the weapon again, this time severing the Oni's leg at the knee. As it fell, Miroku released the Kazana and sucked up the Oni. It was easily grasped by the winds and disappeared into the void. Kagome stepped out from behind the tree and fired an arrow at the blue Oni, which was injured far greater from Sesshoumaru's and Inuyasha's attacks. The Oni moved at the last moment and her arrow struck a gash in the Oni's right shoulder. The blood sizzled and popped as Kagome's reiki spread into the wound like a poison. The flesh began rotting and festering and darkened to a black color before falling off in chunks. Kagome this time drew two arrows in her bow and fired them at the same time. One struck in the neck, the other in its left knee. It roared in outrage and reached with its left hand as more of its flesh turned black and fell off. She fired one more arrow striking the advancing Oni in the forehead and it exploded in a cloud of grey ash. Kagome notched another arrow and turned towards the red oni. She turned in just enough time to dodge out of the way as Inuyasha flew past her, crashed through two trees and landed in a crumpled heap at the base of a third._

_"Inuyasha," she cried. Kirara landed next to her and Sango vaulted off the nekomata._

_"Sango, get Inuyasha out of here," Kagome yelled as she pointed to where Inuyasha landed and ran off in the opposite direction towards the Oni._

_"You bastard," she yelled as she notched three arrows in her bow. She let the arrows fly and watched as one pierced its left shoulder one landed in the right pectoral and the last ended up in its protruding belly. It roared and swung in her direction with the axe. This time its movement was too fast, fueled by adrenaline, the Oni moved twice as fast. Kagome stood frozen knowing this time she could not dodge the attack. Suddenly Sesshoumaru appeared in front of her. One swing of Tokijin and the axe flew to the side. Sesshoumaru flew forward and slashed his sword releasing the blue lightning again. His lips barely moved as he murmured the name of the attack. He followed it racing up the arm and slashed at its face with Dokkasou and sprayed Dokumukou in the wound. He stabbed Tokijin in its right shoulder and drug the sword through its flesh diagonally. He leapt around the Oni and landed back in front of Kagome. The Oni was roaring furiously swiping at its face with its clawed hands. Kagome drew another arrow and aimed for the wound on its face. The Oni's swiping opened the wounds already there further and only helped spread the poison faster. Kagome let her arrow fly and it struck the Oni in a poisoned wound. The cuts immediately began to glow a greenish white before devouring it and leaving a pile of ash in its wake._

_Kagome sighed in relief and let the tension flow out of her shoulders. She searched the remains of the Onis for a second time, making sure she didn't miss anything, but there was no sign of any shikon no kakera. The tachi reconvened and quickly deserted the area before any lesser youkai showed up to devour the remains. As soon as it was deemed safe, the tachi left the main road and found a decent place to camp. Rather than set up camp though, they all collapsed under various trees and rested._

* * *

Kagome stood and stripped herself of her weapons and bag. She prepared camp and started a fire and left with a pot to get water. She found a river and downstream noticed the rise of steam into the air. She filled the pot and returned to camp. When she entered camp, she put the pot above the fire pit and wandered into her tent to grab her bath supplies and her sleeping kimono. Inside her tent was Shippo and Rin curled up together asleep. Jaken was snoring rather loudly in the corner next to them. When she emerged from the tent Sango was skinning a few rabbits. Kagome returned to her bag and grabbed a bag of precut vegetables and potatoes. She handed the bag to Sango and informed her she would be taking a bath at the onsen. She passed Inuyasha as she exited the clearing. The gruff hanyou was okay, just irritated that the Oni knocked him out and he didn't get the chance to kill it. She shook her head at him as she left the clearing, not once noticing that Sesshoumaru was absent.

When she arrived at the onsen, she set up two lanterns to see by. She stripped and Kagome sunk down into the hot water. She dipped her head back and let the warm water soak into her hair. The warm water eased the tension from her back and shoulders. She sighed appreciatively and rose. She sat on a natural shelf that left the water resting at her waist. She turned slightly and leaned against the warm stone. She crossed her arms and rested her chin on her arms. She sighed as she looked out past the range of the lantern's light and stared out at the darkening forest. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the water.

"Perhaps, you aren't as useless as I thought you were, miko."

* * *

I'm really sorry guys. I'm really sorry. There was so much going on and my parents were in and out of hospitals. I was so tired and I just didn't feel like it. That muse was gone. But I'm good, and I'm back now.


	15. Onsen

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.15

* * *

Onsen

* * *

Her eyes snapped open as she turned around and peered into the darkness. The lanterns did well lighting the area around where she rested but could not illuminate the entire onsen. She stared into the darkness which was previously behind her. The light faded and melted into a darkness that was surprisingly not unsettling. It seemed welcoming. Steam rose into the air obscuring her vision as she searched. She caught a glimpse of melted gold before it disappeared again.

"Are you going to sit there and stare at me all night miko?"

She gasped and ducked down into the water trying to hide herself from sight.

"What the hell are you doing here," she hissed.

"Do not be insulted miko. It was you who trespassed on this Sesshoumaru. I commend you on refraining from screeching."

"Overbearing ass," she huffed as she glared at his twin molten gold orbs.

He was suddenly in front of her. She couldn't help but to audibly gulp as the chiseled male appeared. The lanterns did little but to add a low glow. The effect of the light on his skin was mesmerizing. It seemed as if he was bathed in gold, his skin glowed from within. He towered above her; his wet, silky hair formed a curtain around them as he looked down at her. Water droplets rolled off the chiseled planes of his chest and abdomen and she could not help but watch as one made its way from the hollow of his throat and slowly dragged its way down his body to meld with the water in the spring. This involuntary action drew her attention to the magenta stripes wrapped around his hips that curved down and disappeared below the water line. A low rumbling sound caught her attention. She looked up and nearly scowled as she realized Sesshoumaru was chuckling at her. She blushed and turned away, sinking back into the water. Crossing her arms, she tried her best to ignore the male behind her.

* * *

It was her scent that stopped him from reprimanding the onna. He never noticed much about this girl before. It was easily noticeable before that the girl held a great deal of affection for the hanyou. Though, through the few hours he traveled with the hanyou's pack, even he was able to tell the miko had given up. He couldn't care less about who the hanyou ended up with, but he could not help but admit to himself that he was glad the miko had given up. She had proven her prowess in handling her chosen weapon and showed a great deal of potential to gain mastery of many other forms. He found himself wanting to teach her. Her attitude however, was in need of much reform. He had been resting in the spring when she appeared. At first he wanted nothing more than to punish the girl for even daring to intrude upon him. As he watched her however, he realized she really did not notice he was there. The scent of her stress and agitation was palpable and heavy. An unknown emotion crossed him and instead of reprimanding the girl he let her rest. Before he knew what he was doing he spoke. He watched as she looked for him. He allowed some of his youki to seep into his eyes. They glowed for a couple seconds before he withdrew it. He decided to taunt her a little, knowing she couldn't see him. The foolish girl ducked down into the water, as if he had not already seen what she had to offer. He enjoyed toying with her until the girl had the nerve to insult him. He appeared in front of the girl, intending on striking fear into her and stopping this defiant behavior once and for all. The situation changed however when he was standing over her. Her scent wafted up to his nose and he nearly groaned. It was hard to describe exactly what the scent was. Her normal scent of pomegranate and raspberries was amplified, a mouthwatering scent that called to his baser instincts. He wanted to sink his fangs into her supple flesh. She really had filled out nicely. Long supple legs, full round hips, a narrow waist. He was entranced by her breasts, full he could easily see they would fit perfectly in his palm. Her slender neck lead to a slightly more narrow face. Her baby fat had melted away leaving a perfect oval shape. Her almond shaped eyes and button nose accented her full sumptuous lips. Her long, wet onyx strands curled in the humidity and framed her face beautifully. He had to restrain himself from touching her. "How could a ningen onna capture me so fully," he thought. He wanted to believe the girl had cast a spell on him but he was no fool. This girl did not have it in her to magically charm someone. He began to chuckle, a low rumbling sound that spread out from his chest. He watched as she flushed beautifully and turned away from him. He could not help but to reach for her.

* * *

She jumped as she felt his large clawed hand settle on her shoulder. She turned to look up at him and wanted back away when she caught a glimpse of his eyes, they glowed a light red; she didn't quite know what that meant. She felt his hand glide up the back of her neck and cradle her head. He fisted the hair there, holding her steady as he leaned forward. He stopped short of touching her lips before he gave in and claimed her mouth in a searing kiss. She shook, confused before losing herself in the sensation. She gripped his long flowing locks and pulled herself closer. She gasped as he released her hair and gripped her around the waist, hauling her up and depositing her on the edge of the spring. She barely noticed the move. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He pulled back sensing her need for air his red stained orbs searching her face. Her eyes were glazed over in lust and she moaned in disappointment. The low sound struck something in him and he knew if he did not leave her now she would not return to camp in the same condition she arrived. She had closed her eyes in anticipation of more and he disappeared, leaving her alone and wanting in the warm water.


	16. Training

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.16

* * *

"Training"

* * *

"What the hell just happened," thought Kagome as she sat in the onsen.

She pulled out her body wash and began to wash mechanically as she tried to decipher what had just occurred. Sesshoumaru had just kissed her, ravished her and left her confused and wanting for more. She had closed her eyes in anticipation of what he would do to her, waited as a passing breeze caressed her skin and when she opened her eyes, he was gone. To say she was angry was putting it mildly but, as the heady haze of lust faded away she realized it was for the best. She started to prepare to return to camp but realized at the last moment she must be covered in Sesshoumaru's scent so she settled back down in the water to wash it off. She began to wonder why exactly he had responded to her that way and furthermore, what was she thinking giving in so easily. Had she lost her mind? The answer was clear, she wasn't. From the moment he touched her, no, from when that drop of water disappeared, she had been ripe for the picking. She had felt that growing need, that desire. His touch had warmed her, his kiss set her ablaze. Now that she was cooling off she didn't know what to do next. She rinsed off and washed her hair. She wrapped a towel around her sodden locks while she dressed in her sleeping kimono. Gathering her supplies she made her way back to camp. It was silent when she entered; looked as if everyone had gone to bed already. A pot sat above the fire pit simmering, Kagome leaned over peeked in. Rabbit stew, it smelt delicious and her stomach growled. She went into her tent, checking on Shippo, he and Rin still in the same position, before she ventured into her bag to drop off her dirty clothes and bathing supplies. She grabbed a cushion off the shelf and went back outside. She tossed the cushion down next to the pit and grabbed a bowl, ladling stew into it. The bowl warmed her hands as she settled down on the cushion and began to eat. Sango had really become a good cook. "Sesshoumaru isn't here," she thought, not that she expected him to be. She tried to forget, kept trying, but the feel of his lips could not be erased from her mind. She finished eating and wandered back to the stream to wash her bowl and utensils. She unwrapped her towel from her head as she made her way back to camp, it was still damp and she rubbed the tresses gently trying to remove the excess water. She dragged the cushion back into her bag and found a hair tie and a comb; she sat, combing out her locks before she twisted her hair into a messy bun. She stumbled out of the bag tired and crawled into her sleeping bag, cuddling her pillow and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Kagome awoke to darkness the next morning. Groggy and disoriented she crawled out of her tent and looked around trying to sense what it was that woke her. Finding nothing she prepared to go back to sleep when she felt it, a subtle push against her aura. She groaned inwardly as she looked at the sky. Judging by the moon and the stars it could not have been more than four thirty or five o'clock in the morning. Whoever it was could wait she grumbled as she crawled back into the tent. She felt another push, this one more forceful and she angrily stormed out of the tent. Another gentle push and she stomped after the trailing aura to a small forest glen. By the time she stopped, turning around in circles and searching the glen, her aura was dancing wildly with her anger. Kagome was not a morning person.

"Miko."

She growled rather impressively as the Inuyoukai came strolling out of the forest. "You!"

"Perhaps you would like to take a seat," he said as he gestured to the center of the clearing.

"You!"

"Yes Miko, we have already established that I am me, have a seat."

She huffed and, while glaring angrily, plopped down where he pointed. She stared pointedly at him with crossed arms while drumming her fingers on her bicep.

"Miko-"

"You left me," she stated rather matter-o-factly.

"Miko-"

"Why?"

"What do you know of youkai?"

"Not much for raising one. They, you are instinctual creatures. You speak more with actions than words. Canines are a more protective and pack centered breed. Of course this is all based upon my interactions and most of those have been of canine origin."

"That is enough. Youkai are indeed instinct driven. What occurred earlier was a consequence of sorts."

"Consequence."

"You are entering your heat cycle."

"Heat?"

He nearly sighed, "Your fertility cycle Miko."

"Oh," she said, heat flushing her cheeks. "So what does that have to do with last night?"

"Your body is giving off a scent that calls to a youkai's baser instinct, telling that you are ready to be pupped."

"That means pregnant, right?"

"Correct."

"But, my scent hasn't affected Inuyasha."

"The hanyou is of no consequence in this matter. His inferior senses would cause nothing in him but a more aggressive need to protect you. He perhaps might stay closer to you than usual. His instincts war with each other. He does not fully grasp the concept."

"So-"

"Miko. Enough questions. We have not yet addressed why I brought you here."

"And that would be?"

He resisted the urge to bang his head against a tree. "I need to teach you how to mask your scent. It should decrease the amount of hostility you will undoubtedly bring our way."

"Hey!"

"Miko. Be practical. You aura alone is a beacon. The scent of your heat charged with your power will tempt even the strongest willed youkai. The temptation will only grow each day you heat progresses. What will you do if a youkai traces your scent and finds the shikon no tama?"

"I hadn't thought of that."

"Hnn."

"I'm going to ignore that little snide remark, and just let you provide the lesson."

"Hnn. It is simple. Take it and draw it into yourself."

"How?"

"It is not so difficult Miko, simply try."

Kagome shifted to the lotus position, concentrating. She tried to pull her aura back, deep into herself. She imagined pulling her aura close, like a blanket covering her head to toe, and it sinking into her skin.

"Well Miko you at least managed to suppress your aura, but we are trying for scent. In all actuality your aura keeps away most lesser youkai, the promise of death being too great. Try again."

Kagome growled but did make a second attempt. This time she imagined a trail, stretching as far as the eye can see. It fell like a ribbon behind her. She grasped the imaginary trail and pulled it into her, inch by inch until it disappeared.

"Hnn." Sesshoumaru rose gracefully, turned and walked back into the forest. "Are you not coming Miko? I assume you remember the way to camp, do you not?"

Kagome huffed and marched ahead of him into the forest in the direction of camp.

* * *

AN: I don't really like that explaination of scent masking. At the time that was all I could come up with. It seems too simple to me (I wanted her to work for it) so if someone has a suggestion, PM me. I would greatly appreciate it.


	17. Into Village Number One

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.17

* * *

_Into Village Number One_

* * *

Kagome arrived back at camp slightly more calm but still irritated. Judging by the sky it was maybe a half hour before dawn. She wanted to go back to sleep but found herself fully awake. Instead she ventured into the bag to retrieve clothes for the day. She chose a pair of black hakamas paired with a light gray kimono top with a design of blue flowers. The top fell down like a coat and would settle at her knees, it was secured with a leather half corset and she grabbed a pair of black boots. She left camp making her way to the onsen where she bathed and dressed. She sat on a nearby boulder and brushed out her hair before braiding it and tying the end with a blue ribbon. She returned and stashed her supplies before reheating the stew leftover from dinner and boiling some rice. The rest of the tachi began to stir a half hour after dawn and Kagome rose to wake the children. She pushed the grumbling, yawning duo towards the river to wash up as the adults finished stretching and shaking off the nights rest. During that time Sesshoumaru materialized at the base of a tree and kept a careful eye on the proceedings. When the children returned, Kagome began passing out bowls of stew on a bed of rice. After breakfast camp was broken down and the travelers made their way back to the road. They traveled for three hours before they could see the outline of the small village in the distance. Another two hours had them a few yards from the village entrance.

Sesshoumaru stopped and turned to address the Inu tachi.

"I will meet you in two hours on the other side of the village. Gather supplies and whatever other provisions you deem necessary. Do not be late; I will not waste more time here." Sesshoumaru left Rin with Jaken and a small pouch of coins with instructions to supply the young girl with whatever she needed.

"It will rain soon, be prepared," with that final statement he walked away.

* * *

Kagome ventured into the village with Shippo in tow. They made their way to the blacksmith first. She entered the small shop and gazed at weapons adorning the walls. She located a barrel full of arrows against a back wall and filled her quiver. She sighed as she admired the weapons covering the wall. As she looked, one sword stood out amongst the rest. A katana, its sheath was of some ancient wood a polished silver color. The hilt was wrapped in a deep midnight blue cloth and attached to the end where charms shaped after the moon and stars. She grasped the weapon and pulled it down to examine closer. Embossed upon the sheath was a curling design. Scrollwork with leaves and flowers curved into an elegant design. Kagome grasped the hilt and unsheathed the blade in a single fluid motion that surprised even her. The blade shone like polished silver, it carried not a single scratch or chip, it was flawless.

"It's pretty," Shippo murmured as he watched from beside her. Kagome hummed in agreement.

She was brought out of her examination by the unnatural quite that had settled over the shop. Kagome looked around a noticed a group of four men that had previously been conversing with the blacksmith staring at her along with the shopkeeper.

"I'm sorry," she said as she placed the sword back on the wall, "I'll just pay for my arrows and go."

"Nay," a voice called from behind the frozen men. An elderly man walking with a cane emerged from behind the counter. "I have owned that sword for thirty-eight years, I bought it as a gift for my late wife but neither of us could unsheathe the blade. It has sat on that wall for twenty years, various travelers were drawn to the blade but none could open it till now. I though the thing rusted shut but it opened for you as if it were forged just yesterday. Wait here a moment," he said as he disappeared behind the counter. He remerged a few minutes later with something wrapped in the same blue fabric as the sword. He held the package out to her. "Here, take this, the sword and your arrows. It came with the sword but fortunately we had no use for it."

Inside was a molded breastplate and bracers made of the same material as the sword and bearing the same design as the sheath. Tucked under the breastplate was a black leather sword belt with a sliver leaf clasp.

Kagome, at a loss for words, threw her arms around the old man and thanked him profusely. "Thank you, thank you so much." Not to take such a gift without giving something back, Kagome took a pouch of coins from her sleeve and tucked it firmly in the man's free hand. "It's not enough to pay you back but it's all I have. May Kami-sama bless you and all your descendants."

The old man laughed heartily and said, "It's nice to see such appreciation in one so young, go in peace child."

Kagome bowed to the man and thanked him again before strapping on the belt and carefully attaching the sword. She swung her quiver up over her shoulder and grasped the blue bundled as she waved and exited the shop.

* * *

An hour remained before they were to regroup so Kagome and Shippo wandered the village for a while. A short while later they came upon a steaming Jaken waving his staff wildly while arguing with a vender over the price of some dried meat. Kagome looked around but Rin was nowhere in sight. Kagome lightly poked Jaken in the shoulder to get his attention. He swung the Nintoujou in reflex and Kagome blocked it, easily brushing the blow aside.

"Jaken, where is Rin," Kagome asked.

"Stupid ningen," Jaken exclaimed, "She is right be..hind…" Jaken turned as he said this and discovered the girl missing. He looked around wildly, turning in circles before running in a random direction screaming her name at the top of his lungs.

"Rin! Rin!" His shouts faded as he ran into the distance.

Kagome turned to the vender and asked, "Did you see which way she went?"

He pointed in the opposite direction Jaken ran in and said, "The young lady wandered off in that direction. The clothing and jewelry stalls are that way. Most likely she is just admiring some pretty trinket."

She bowed, thanked him and headed off in the correct direction. She found Rin a few minutes later at a clothing stall looking at a pair of tucked gray hakamas. Rin looked up as Kagome approached and asked, "Aren't these pretty Kagome?" Kagome nodded.

"Jaken is worried about you. Why did you run off?"

"Rin is sorry, but shopping with Jaken-sama is so boring. We never buy things like this," she said as she held up the hakamas.

"You want new clothes Rin?"

"Jaken-sama orders the same kimono every time I need a new one. Rin didn't want to complain. Jaken-sama takes good care of Rin."

Kagome set her bag on the ground, "Shippo check and see if I have more money."

The kit climbed in the bag and emerged a couple minutes later with another pouch of money. Kagome took it and counted the coins. It was more than enough for some clothes.

"You like those right Rin?"

Rin nodded.

Kagome picked up those hakamas and asked her, "What else looks good?"

Rin picked out a muted red obi and a white kimono top with slashes on the bottom side for easy movement. The top had a sakura tree sown onto the back, the pink petals sown as if they were dancing in the wind and were scattered across the bottom hem. Kagome paid for the clothes and dragged Rin to a shoe stall picking up a pair of short black leather boots. The next stand had hair ribbons and ornaments. Kagome picked a matching red ribbon and a pair of black lacquered chopsticks with sakura petal charms.

She handed the bundled packages to Rin and the trio made their way to the meeting place. Kagome left Shippo by the road with her belongings and dragged Rin into the forest to change. She was surprised when she noticed that Rin was a few inches taller than Shippo. After Rin had finished dressing, Kagome brushed out Rin's hair and tied it a high ponytail that reached the young girl's neck. She tucked the chopsticks in Rin's hair so the charms hung down the ponytail. Finished she inspected the girl and smiled with satisfaction.

"You look good Rin. Let's test it out just to make sure."

"What do you mean Kagome-sama?"

"Come on Rin," Kagome called as she made her way back to where she left Shippo. She pointed Rin in his direction smiling broadly and asked, "Hey Shippo, how does Rin look?"

He glanced in her direction and blushed. He turned away shuffling his feet and stated, "She looks alright."

Kagome burst laughing and took both children in her arms hugging them tightly.

"Okaa-san, let me go," Shippo whined.

Kagome continued to laugh but let them go and sat beside her belongings. She opened the blue bundle and snapped on the silver bracers. She examined the breastplate. It had a square like cut around the top. The sides curved to mold and protect the ribs. The bottom came to a point in the front. It had short demi pauldrons that were removable. One side had short leather buckles to strap on the protective piece. Kagome was content to sit with the armor in her lap and watch the children mock sword fight with sticks. She laughed lightly as she watched them wildly attack each other in over exaggerated movements.

* * *

A few minutes later Sango appeared dragging an unconscious Jaken behind her.

"What happened," Kagome asked.

"The silly kappa," Sango began with a laugh, "He was running around screaming for Rin. After about five minutes he began wailing and yelling apologies to Sesshoumaru-sama into the air. He asked for forgiveness and mercy. Then he began running around again crying and whimpering Rin's name. Blinded by his tears he ran into the wall of a hut and knocked himself unconscious." Sango leaned Jaken against the side of a tree and sat down next to Kagome. She noticed the armor and asked, "Where'd you find that Kagome?"

Kagome told her the story as they waited for the men to show up.

"You're lucky Kagome, to find such a treasure. Allow me to teach you," Sango offered.

"I'd like that."

Miroku showed up next. Behind him he pulled a small cart filled with goods he had acquired through various means. He extended to Kagome and Sango each a large pouch of coins.

"Do we want to know how you acquired all of this," Kagome asked. He merely shook his head. Kagome passed him the bag so he could put away all of his ill-gotten goods. After the last package was put away he handed the bag back to Kagome.

"Here Miroku," Kagome called as she handed him a handful of the coins he gave her. "I forgot to buy rain hats; can you go get us some?"

"No problem Kagome-sama," he said. He went and returned quickly with five adult sized hats and three child size. He passed one each to Sango, Kagome, Shippo, and Rin. He sat one in Jaken's lap and slipped one over his own head. He sat with the other two as they waited for the Inu brothers to appear.


	18. Gale

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.18

* * *

Gale

* * *

A loud squawk rent the peaceful scene. Five heads turned in the direction of the previously unconscious kappa. Jaken lay grasping his head as he rolled around on the ground shrieking indignantly. Behind Jaken stood Sesshoumaru, Nintoujou in hand. He walked by passing the writhing kappa to stop in front of Rin. He regarded the girl for a few seconds before giving a barely perceptible nod and passing the two headed staff to her. She smiled brightly and ran to help Jaken. He stopped ahead of the group for a brief second. "Come," he said and began walking down the path. Seconds passed as the tachi looked at each other, it dawned on them that they were being left behind and they scrambled, gathering their belongings they ran down the path to catch up to the retreating Inu.

Rin frantically tried to get Jaken to rise and follow but he only kicked his feet in the air before passing out again.

"Ah-Un, help me," Rin called. In answer the two headed dragon picked Jaken up by the collar of his robes, grimacing at the smell, while Rin climbed on their back, strapping the Nintoujou to the saddle bags. The dragon flew a short way easily catching up to the tachi which had resumed some semblance of order after their mad dash. "Kagome-sama," Rin called from her perch. "Inuyasha-san hasn't returned yet, is it okay to just leave him behind?"

"Worry not Rin-chan," Kagome responded. "Inuyasha can take care of himself, besides, Inuyasha doesn't like staying long in villages. He mostly likely left a while ago and is waiting for us ahead by the side of the road." True to her word they came upon the hanyou a half hour later dozing against the side of a tree with his sword in his lap. Miroku tossed one of the extra rain hats at his head and he jumped, startling awake.

"Oi! What the hell monk?" Miroku in response, rapped him on the head with his staff.

"Language Inuyasha," he admonished. "I don't believe neither Sesshoumaru-sama nor Kagome-sama approve of such language in front of the children."

"Keh, I'm not worried about that wench. I definitely don't care about what that uppity bastard wants," Inuyasha bragged.

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned.

His ears drooped despite his previous words. He crossed his arms and walked ahead nose in the air. "Keh, what took you guys so long anyway?"

* * *

An hour passed before the first drops of rain began to fall. It began as a soft mist-like drizzle. Everyone had donned their rains hats except for Sesshoumaru who, when offered one, said, "This Sesshoumaru has no need for such a thing." The rest of the tachi shrugged the comment off but Kagome was baffled for a short while on how the Inu stayed dry. After a few moments of observation, Kagome began to see little, barely noticeable, puffs of steam rise from around Sesshoumaru. As she watched more, she saw a slight wavy distortion just above his clothes. It resembled the distortion one saw on the road in the depths of summer. She concluded that Sesshoumaru was using his youki to evaporate the water before it touched him. It looked as though only a thin layer was required and she wondered if it was possible to replicate with reiki. She focused on the coiling mass of reiki inside of her, grasping it she called upon her power until it just barely covered the skin of her arm. Her skin glowed with the evidence of her power brushing and warming her skin. She could only hold it for a few seconds before the power slipped away. The lack of that low warmth was disappointing but now she had a goal. She set about once again gathering her power.

* * *

Four hours later Kagome had finally mastered covering her left forearm with her power. Something had occurred to her a couple hours past. Every time she drew her power into her skin she glowed. She wondered if there was a way to use the technique without showing every being she was using her reiki. An hour later she decided that maybe it would be more effective to try imbuing her reiki into her clothes instead. This she had more progress with and so an hour passed with her trying to lengthen the area affected. She looked up as she dropped her arm to her side. The sun was just beginning to set in the distance and their pace was slowing down as Sesshoumaru looked for a dry place to camp. The rain had picked up slightly in the last half hour and now a low wind began passing through the trees. Kagome faltered in her steps, something felt odd about that wind. As they continued the rain got heavier and heavier until each drop stung against her skin. A gust blew down, the cold slicing into her flesh through her soaked clothes like little knives. The rest of the tachi was in a similar state of distress and even Sesshoumaru's pristine white robes had translucent patches. Kagome held her arm up to shield her face from the biting wind as it rushed through the tress.

"Where did this come from," Kagome shouted out into the storm but she received no reply.

A low wail began as the wind forced itself past its obstacles. From underneath this ghastly wail came the sound of feminine laughter. A flash of white appeared against the darkened sky. The object floated down unaffected by the blasting gale surrounding them.

"Kagura," she heard Inuyasha exclaim along with a string of expletives.

She focused her sight on Kagura's feather as it descended. The kaze stepped lightly off her feather and behind her rose another figure. A woman stepped out from behind her. Her hair was a stormy gray and her eyes were ocean blue. Her skin tinted a light blue was painted with twisted lines of navy blue. She wore a gauzy white robe, her flesh clearly visible underneath, and in her hand she held a black umbrella. It was from her black painted lips that the laughter originated. She smiled wickedly called out to the travelers in her strange lilting voice.

"Poor mortals," her grin widened as she held her arms apart and the rain came down even harder.

Her vision distorted by the rain, Kagome tried to make her way closer to the tachi. She could see Sesshoumaru's hair whipping wildly and she made her ways towards him. Sesshoumaru had taken a defensive stance as he glared at the strange woman.

"Ame, ame, ame," she sung out as she giggled madly and twirled in circles. "Isn't it wonderful, my ame?"

"You crazy bitch," Kagome heard Inuyasha yelled from behind her. She could see the flash of light out of the corner of her eye as Tetsusaiga transformed.

"Ah, ah, ah, hanyou," she admonished as she danced her way to Kagura. She wrapped her arms around the kaze's waist, "You'll take care of them for me won't you my sweet." Kagura looked annoyed as the woman nuzzled her face into her back. She shuddered as the woman's hands rose to places they shouldn't be.

Kagome knew she should be more defensive, but she couldn't help but to watch as the woman molested Kagura.

"Mizuki," Kagura snapped.

"Kagura-koi, don't be so mean," Mizuki whined as Kagura bared her fangs at her.

"Enough of this," Inuyasha yelled as he began to charge in their direction.

Kagura whipped around bringing her fan down as she shouted, "Fujin no mai!" Blades of wind whipped around and flew at Inuyasha. He narrowly dodged one aimed at his face and it sliced his cheek as he raised Tetsusaiga to block the other blows. She retreated to her feather pulling Mizuki after her and rose up into the sky. "Ryuja no mai," rang out into the sky and several tornadoes dropped out of the sky in front of Inuyasha.

Kagome felt a sense of weightlessness as she was lifted by the swirling wind. She began to panic as she realized she was being sucked into a tornado. Her vision twisted and blurred as she was swept around in the funnel of wind. She saw blurs of red past the wall of wind and then a glimpse of fire that seemed to come towards her before being swept away in a different direction. Her mind numbed as her body began to feel heavy and black spots swam in her eyes. The last thing she saw was a flash of white before she succumbed to the darkness.


	19. Where Are We?

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.19

* * *

Where Are We?

* * *

Kagome groaned as she rolled over. "Why is it so bright," she thought. She tried to curl into herself, determined to fall back asleep, but her body protested the movement. She lifted a hand to her forehead as she rolled onto her back. She lay there for a moment before slowly dragging her hand down her face. "It couldn't be morning already." She sighed, dreading getting up and starting breakfast, but something seemed out of place. In fact several things were different. First, she felt warm where she had turned her back to the light but beneath and in front of her it was cold. Second, whatever she was lying on was hard and uneven, nothing like her sleeping bag. Third, she could not hear the soft growls of her usually snoring kit. Where was Shippo? This last thought had her springing upward into a seated position. Her eyes flew open and she took in her surroundings. She was in a cave. In front of her was the mouth and she could see and hear the torrential rain as it fell. Behind her the cave continued around a slight bend. Beside her lay her sword, her bag and her quiver which was half full and had the cloth containing the breastplate tied to it. A fire blazed in the center of the cave, the source of the annoying light that woke her. Now that she was fully awake, other things also reached out for her attention. Like the fact that her head was pounding, she could feel the throbbing pressure and prodded the area on the left side of her face. It was slightly swollen and crusted over with something stuck to her skin. She looked around again, "How did I get here," she thought. The last thing she remembered was….

"Kagura," she exclaimed as she stood suddenly. The world around her swirled and she slumped down to her knees. "Let's not do that again," she thought. She sat and waited for the world to stop spinning crazily and when her vision finally evened out she tried to stand again, slower this time. After she successfully made it to her feet, she walked carefully to the mouth of the cave. She peeked out, intent to try and get as much information about her surroundings as she could however, all she saw were trees, trees, and more trees. By the position of the moon it was sometime around midnight but that was all the information it offered. She prepared to go sit back down when a flash of color caught her attention. The small patch of white in the distance soon grew into the figure of a person. "Sesshoumaru," she thought as the Inu came striding out of the forest with a boar slung over his shoulder. He gave her a cursory glance as he passed by, depositing the kill by the fire, selected a spot against the wall and sat down.

"What happened," Kagome asked.

"Kagura-koi."

"….."

"Kagura-koi."

"….."

"Kagura-koi!"

"WHAT," Kagura screamed.

"I wanna go home," Mizuki whined.

"Mizuki, for the last time, we have to find the miko first. The reason we came was to separate her from the hanyou. In order to return, we must capture the miko."

"So, where are we," Kagome asked as she cut the boar meat into strips.

"Two days from the south-western road, more southern, towards the boundary between the west and the south," Sesshoumaru responded.

"And the others?"

"The children evacuated before Kagura attacked. They will look for the closest person. I cannot say for any of the others."

"Oh."

"Miko," he called. Kagome looked up and Sesshoumaru nodded towards the back of the cave. "There is a hot spring."

Kagome smiled slightly, "Thank you." He nodded in her direction before leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. Kagome finished skewering the meat and let it roast in the fire. While it was cooking Kagome assessed the state of her belongings. The contents of her bag were unaffected, the sword was caked in mud, the breastplate was fairly clean, though the cloth was also streaked with dirt and mud. The clothes Kagome was wearing was covered in mud and she could see a line of dried blood going down the front of her kimono. Kagome gathered some clean clothes, a white kimono with little blue butterflies and a pair of navy hakamas, and a towel. She checked the meat, it would still be some time before it was finished, before she ventured to the back of the cave. There was a corner that easily blended into the wall, around it a narrow path wound and opened into a large chamber with a decent sized hot spring tucked into one corner. The walls were lined with a phosphorescent moss and on the other side of the chamber grew strange glowing fungi. A path cut through the fungi and led further back into the cave. Kagome decided to ignore exploring in favor of being clean, though her curiosity was obvious. She deposited her supplies and fresh clothes on a rock, stripped down and sank into the warm water. She released her hair from the now messy braid and combed it with wet fingers to release the ribbon. She dove under the water letting her hair and body become saturated. She swam around some more diving under the water before she broke the surface of the water with a gasp as her wet hair plastered her skin. She grabbed her shampoo and lathered it into her hair, combing it with her fingers. She swiped her wet hands across her face and they came back stained with pink. She sighed as she dove under water again to rinse her hair. She washed up, dried off, dressed and sat down leaning over the water to see the wound on the side of her face. She dabbed at the wound with the towel till the blood dried up, then she wrapped up her wet hair and made her way back to the main chamber.

Kagome disposed of the dirty clothes and went to check on the meat. It had already been removed from the fire and lay on a cloth in front of it. She glance briefly at Sesshoumaru who appeared to have not moved and sat down in front of the food. She muttered a small prayer, "Thank you," she said before she began to eat.

Kagura and Mizuki had been searching for hours for Kagome. What they did not was that they were searching in the wrong direction. Truthfully Mizuki didn't care if they found the miko, all she wanted was to go home with her Kagura-koi. Kagura unfortunately could not concentrate long enough to figure out they were going in the wrong direction. Every time she tried to figure out where they were and where the miko should have landed, Mizuki whined or clung to her. Why Naraku decided to have her work with the rain elemental was pointless now, she was impeding progress and she needed to go.

"Kagura-koi, let's take a break," Mizuki suggested as she danced and twirled behind Kagura.

Kagura turned around, whipping out her fan and jamming it under the elemental's chin. "Mizuki, if we do not find this miko I will be the one punished. I would have located her by now if not for you. If you wish your heart to still beat then, SHUT UP!" She turned around then and marched forward looking for any place she thought Kagome could hide. She pushed her way past a bush and emerged in a glade. At the same time someone else entered the clearing from the other side. Their eyes locked for a moment before a loud "You," rent the air accompanied by a flash of yellow light. The angered, soaked and dirty hanyou thrust his sword in the Kaze's direction before running across the field screaming, "What did you do with Kagome!"

Kagome sat thinking, "I wonder how the others are," she mused. She had finished eating and not having much to do, sat thinking or more worrying. She sighed as she gazed out into the forest, her chin propped up in her outstretched palm.

"Miko."

She glanced over at the sound of his voice. He had been silent for a while now, sitting like a statue, motionless, while the fire bathed him in warm light. She had glanced back a few times, admiring his form as well as checking for any signs of change. He would notice something long before she could. She watched him now, waiting for him to say something. His eyes slowly opened and he fixed his burning amber gaze on her vivid blues. She immediately felt different. A tingling sensation crept up her spine as she waited for him to say something. She reached up and scratched the back of her neck. She felt hunted, like prey, surprisingly, it wasn't a bad feeling. A sense of danger and excitement flickered across her senses. A she watched, he took a noticeable breath, she watched his chest rise and fall as if the movement was unnatural. His eyes slowly closed on the intake and as he exhaled they opened again to reveal blood red orbs gazing at her. He smiled.


	20. Watch What Mine Eyes Have Seen

Misfortune Followed Us Home ch.20

* * *

Watch What Mine Eyes Have Seen

* * *

Sesshoumaru looked down at the limp miko in his arms. He was walking the forest looking for a defensible position, somewhere he could leave her in relative safety while he went for provisions. He didn't know why he saved her, didn't understand why his body automatically leapt into action when the girl was lifted into the air. But his body did move and now he was stuck with her. She bled from her head, an injury she sustained when he collided with her as he pulled her to him in mid-air. The scent was tangy, full, he resisted the pull as he surveyed his surroundings. He walked, searching for another hour before he came across the cave. He scented the cave before he entered. It had long ago been abandoned and the scent of plant life and mineral enhanced water filtered through the air. He deposited the miko next to the cave wall, dropping her belongings next to her and returned to the entrance erect a barrier across the opening. He stopped in mid-step as a scent filtered across his senses. He felt the edges of his self-control waver as he breathed in. He glanced back at the miko as the scent strengthened and then disappeared. She was losing control of her powers. Or else her body was diverting her energy to accelerate her healing. What did the reason matter he asked himself. The last time he stayed around her, he succumbed to her ningen flesh. Never again he promised himself, still, he would not _**run away**_ from a weak, injured, _**ningen**_ female. His lip curled back in distaste at the thought. He glared at the girl briefly before returning his attention to the barrier. Erected, he walked past he slumbering form and investigated the rest of the cave. It contained an onsen and some unusual fungi but nothing life threatening or dangerous. He ventured out into the rain to search for dry wood for a fire. An errant thought passed by, why was he doing this? That ningen was not his responsibility, why was he wasting his time trying to take care of her. He could not think of a viable answer but never the less he didn't bother to stop gathering firewood, to build the life giving flames to warm the miko's chilled, damp flesh. Didn't stop him from thinking about what else she might need, noticing the faint grumble of the miko's stomach signaling hunger. Without thinking he raised himself up and went to hunt for her, to provide for her, barely noticing when her control wavered and then snapped in her unconscious state right as he passed through the barrier.

* * *

Ah-Un flew over the forest, its three tiny occupants scanning the forest floor looking for signs of where their other companions had gone. At the first sign of danger the children had been ushered to the two-headed dragon and whisked away with their kappa guardian into the sky. They saw when the kaze swung her fan and summoned the tornadoes from the sky. Ah-Un flew away then, getting out of range and when at last the winds dissipated, they surveyed the area looking for the foster family for the two small children.

After an hour had passed and there was no sign, after the last tear had been shed and the two bundled together to comfort one another, Jaken grasped the reigns tightly in hand and steered the dragon in the direction of the Western Shiro. Jaken had no dobut that his lord and master still lived. Nothing could bring down Sesshoumaru-sama! Besides, he had witnessed Sesshoumaru take much more damage than what that pitiful kaze could do, it was inevitable that Sesshoumaru-sama survived.

* * *

Inuyasha awoke with a start. He crouched down and held his head in his hands. His head was killing him. "What the hell happened," he exclaimed. He groaned as his claws dug into the tender flesh of his scalp. Five minutes later the pain finally began to dissipate and he released his head with a sigh of relief. He look around but could not recognize where he was. He look up from where he was now seated at, the tree above him abruptly ended in a splintered mess about 7 meters up. "Fucking bitch," he thought as he mentally cursed Kagura. He stood up and immediately noticed the lack of weight at his waist. He felt frantically at his hips looking for the missing Tetsusaiga. He turned in circles and after several minutes of overlooking, located the sword embedded in a tree 21 meters up. He cursed as he marched over to the tree and tried to find a decent handhold so he could climb up and dislodge the sword.

* * *

Sesshoumaru stood waist deep in the cool water. His head tilted skyward as the rain showered him. He rolled his head, cracking his neck and working out the kinks in the taunt muscles. He scooped water up between his palms and ran the water across his face.

"We must return," a voice filtered across his consciousness.

"No," he rumbled in return.

"She waits for us, _willing_."

"Defenseless, unconscious," Sesshoumaru retorted.

"So you care for her then." It was a statement.

"As of now, the onna is mine to protect."

"Even from us? She would share in our desire easily enough."

"Your desire."

"I know well the heat that courses through your blood at the slightest hint of her fragrance."

"I shall fall so low at to mate with a ningen."

"We shall see," the voice countered as it faded away.

Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed as he redressed, drying his damp clothes with his youki. Before he could feed the miko, he had to feed himself. It was a successful, if not particularly bloody, hunt. He grabbed the dead boar he had discarded as he cleaned himself of the blood and mud. He shifted the weight, placing the boar upon his shoulder and walked off in the direction of the cave.

* * *

Inuyasha crashed into the ground. He groaned as he sat upon, but grinned cockily as he glanced at Tetsusaiga embedded into the ground. He had finally gotten the sword out of the tree! He stood up, dusting of his clothes, and sheathed Tetsusaiga in one fluid motion. He scented the air, looking for a starting point, but found nothing. He turned in a circle before picking a random direction and marching off into the brush.

* * *

Sango sat up slowly as she took in her surroundings. She pushed away Kirara and the kasai neko ran to wake Miroku from his unnatural slumber by licking at his face. The trio had landed in the middle of the forest and surrounded by debris. Hiraikotsu lay on the edge of the clearing across from the point where they landed. Sango stood up, examining the treetops trying to discern which direction they came from when they crashed. She took a step and winced as she stumbled from a pain in her lower leg. She glanced down, noticing the tear in her battle uniform and sat down to examine the wound. A two inch long gash, riddled with splintered pieces of wood, lay embedded in her flesh. She sighed as she looked for anything to clean the wound with. The problem with Kagome's, as she called it, inter-dimensional bag was that she kept most of the supplies with her at all times. There was not much Sango could do about the wound without water or one of Kagome's futuristic advances, none of which were nearby. She opted to pluck out as many splinters she could and tearing off her sleeves, used one to try and clean some of the dirt out and using the other one, bandaged it.

"Sango, are you alright," Miroku called out as he sat up staff in hand.

"I'm fine, nothing I can't handle, are you hurt," she asked.

"I am fine as well, nothing seems cut or broken."

"Good. Let's see what we can do to meet up with everyone," she said as she stood up again testing the amount of weight she could place on her leg. "Kirara," she called, "Can you fly?"

In response Kirara mewed and transformed into her larger form. She ran across the clearing and retrieved Hiraikotsu and waited as Sango strapped it on. She leaned down as the pair climbed onto her back.

"Let's go that way Kirara, towards those broken treetops," Sango said pointing. Kirara rose into the air and as they cleared the foliage saw a dot in the distance coming closer.

"What is that Miroku," Sango asked.

"Could it be Ah-Un," he responded. They looked at each other for a moment contemplating.

"Get closer Kirara, no matter what whoever it is has already seen us," Sango urged and they flew off in its direction.

* * *

Sesshoumaru emerged from the forest. He had seen her from a distance, peering out into the night. There was nothing wrong with her then, good. He walked through the barrier and he nearly paused as he caught the full essence of her scent. Instead he glanced at her and deposited the dead boar by the fire before taking a seat against the cave wall.

"What happened," her voice filtered through the air.

He looked at her for a moment, debating on whether or not to inform her that her barrier had fallen.

"We have been separated from your tachi. Come morning we will set out to reunite with them." He had wanted to say something. She began preparing to cook the meat.

"So where are we?" This onna was talkative.

"Two days from the south-western road, more southern, towards the boundary between the west and the south."

"And the others?"

"The children evacuated before Kagura attacked. They will look for the closest person. I cannot say for any of the others." "Why am I answering her inane questions," he asked himself as he inhaled again.

"Oh."

"Miko," he called though he had no reason why. Her scent was driving him crazy. Was this a plot of hers, for what reason would she cause such torture? The onna knew not what she did. When she looked up, he merely nodded and directed her towards the hot spring at the back of the cave. He watched as she finished preparing her food and left towards the onsen. He nearly sighed in relief as her scent dissipated slightly. She was going to kill him. No. He would have to kill her, would before succumbing to her ningen flesh. Never.

"You want her, we want her, why not just give in," that voice whispered. The idea of it, he craved it but refused to give in.

"No. When she returns I will inform her of her condition."

"You will not, cannot. No matter how hard you try, I will not allow those words to pass your lips."

"We shall see," he responded. It was the end of the conversation. The smell of burning meat reached his nose and he removed her meal from the fire before it became irrecoverable. She appeared not long after, thanking him for not letting her food burn. She settled down to eat and he held back a shudder as her scent returned. He tried, and inconceivable as it was, that other part of him, the baser more primitive and more selfish held him back. Many a time the words passed his mind, came to his lips and fizzled away like the last embers of a fire turned to dust. He watched her as she stared out into the stormy night.

"Miko." The words came unbidden, unwanted and ill received. He locked eyes with her and felt it as the primal part of his being began to rise to the surface. He wanted to warn her, "Run," but she stayed, watching him. He closed his eyes and was lost.


End file.
